IMDb > Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
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Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
F.W. Murnau
Writers:
Hermann Sudermann (original theme "Die Reise nach Tilsit")
Carl Mayer (scenario)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 November 1927 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance | Crime more
Plot:
A married farmer falls under the spell of a slatternly woman from the city, who tries to convince him to drown his wife. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
F.W. Murnau's "Sunrise": Harbor Daze and Drunk on You
 (From The Auteurs. 3 October 2009, 4:14 PM, PDT)

Summer Preview: Repertory Calendar for the Coasts
 (From IFC. 5 May 2009, 1:32 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
An Artistic Masterpiece & Also A Joy To Watch more (135 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
George O'Brien ... The Man

Janet Gaynor ... The Wife
Margaret Livingston ... The Woman From the City
Bodil Rosing ... The Maid
J. Farrell MacDonald ... The Photographer (as J. Farrell McDonald)
Ralph Sipperly ... The Barber
Jane Winton ... The Manicure Girl
Arthur Housman ... The Obtrusive Gentleman
Eddie Boland ... The Obliging Gentleman
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Sunrise (USA) (short title)
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Runtime:
94 min | Germany:106 min
Country:
USA
Aspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Movietone) (musical score and sound effects) | Silent (alternate version)
Certification:
South Korea:15 (2004) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Germany:6 | Portugal:17 (director's cut) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:U (video re-rating) | UK:A (original rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director F.W. Murnau wanted Camilla Horn (with whom he had worked in Germany on Faust - Eine deutsche Volkssage (1926)) for the part of "The Wife", but she was under contract to the German studio UFA at the time and they refused to loan her out, so the part went to Janet Gaynor. more
Quotes:
[opening title cards]
Title Card: This song of the Man and his Wife is of no place and every place; you might hear it anywhere, at any time.
Title Card: For wherever the sun rises and sets, in the city's turmoil or under the open sky on the farm, life is much the same; sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet.
more
Movie Connections:
References Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans" based on a novel?
Was "Sunrise" the first talkie?
more
25 out of 29 people found the following comment useful.
An Artistic Masterpiece & Also A Joy To Watch, 2 January 2002
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

This is one of the few movies that fully deserves all the raves that it gets. Some movies are artistic masterpieces more to be admired than enjoyed, leaving the viewer feeling a little distant; other movies can be enjoyable and satisfying to watch, but with obvious artistic defects. "Sunrise" is a nearly perfect movie that is impressive in every detail, and it is also a joy to watch, offering moments of suspense and tension and other moments of humor and humanity.

The story provides a very thoughtful look at the importance and the fragile nature of human relationships. Janet Gaynor is wonderful as the wife - she is always believable, endearing, and completely sympathetic. George O'Brien is also good as the husband, and both of their performances are enhanced by director Murnau's use of their body language. There are also many minor touches in the settings and action that help guide the story and the mood, and it is all complemented by some fine camera work. The first time you watch the film, your attention is fixed on the leading couple, as you hope against hope that things will work out all right for them. Repeated viewings reveal many of the other fine details that make everything work so well.

The movie also has plenty of variety and a masterful structure. The first part and the last part are tense and full of suspense, but they sandwich a very enjoyable series of lighter vignettes in the middle, which make a perfect complement both to the story and to the tone of the movie.

It is very difficult these days to track down this movie, which is a real shame, and even when you do find it you generally have to make do with a rather fuzzy or defective print. But it is well worth the trouble, and "Sunrise" is highly recommended to any silent film fan or to anyone who can appreciate a movie made the way that movies ought to be made. It is not only one of the great masterpieces of the silent era, but is as good a film as any made since.

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